The Runaway
by greendaychic87
Summary: Jessie, Kris Furillo's daughter, explores the life her mom lived before the accident.
1. The Beginning

"You think this is funny? You think this is some kind of joke?" he screamed in frustration

She opened her mouth but she couldn't speak. She hated it when he got like this. It wasn't his fault though; he had a long hard day at work, and she could hold that against him. But there was no way to control him. So she backed against the wall to keep him in view and kept her eyes down on the floor, holding back her tears.

"You answer me when I'm talking to you!" he demanded. When she didn't look up, he felt all his emotions boil to the top and he burst. He clenched his fists down by his sides so hard that his knuckles turned white and before she knew what happened, everything went black.

The next morning, Jessie fumbled around her cluttered bedroom looking for something decent to put on for school. Her stepdad never did laundry and could care less about anything in Jessie's life. Finally, she came across a slightly wrinkled shirt tossed carelessly on the back of her desk chair. She grabbed it, smelt it, and put it on.

Since her stepdad had already left for work, she made herself some breakfast, a piece of dry toast and a slightly rotten orange. She rolled her eyes at the fact that there was never anything good to eat in her house. On most days she just got by with some water and to-go pizza that she would pick up from the gas station convenience store on the corner.

Jessie grabbed a quick glance at the half-cracked clock that hung crookedly above their tattered window curtains and realized she was going to miss the bus if she didn't leave now. So she grabbed her bag and flung open the trailer door and listened to the stairs squeak as she took in a breath of the cool morning air.

"Hey Jess!" shouted Greg from across the front of the school yard. Greg and Jessie had been best friends for as long as either of them can remember. Greg's chestnut skin and short cut wavy brown hair contrasted with Jessie's pale skin and long almost black pin-straight hair. Maybe that's why they were so close, opposites attract.

Upon getting a few steps closer, he realized she had a black eye, a few cuts, and a bruise on her arm.

"What happened? Did he do this to you again?" he asked with a mixed of anger, disgust, and worry.

"It's fine. It was my fault. I shouldn't be bothering him after he's had such a long day at work. And besides, it probably won't happen again." She said avoiding eye contact.

"You know he'll do it again! Why do you always defend him? What has he ever done for you other than given you a black eyes and a belt imprints?" he said frustrated, but also with sympathy.

Jessie just stared at the ground. She knew Greg was right, but what could she do? Nothing. And that's why things would never change or get any better.

After a few minutes of silence, Greg let out a sigh and slid his arm over Jessie's shoulder and began to lead her inside the building.

"So what are you going to tell everyone this time? Did you fall down the stairs? Run into a wall?" he said semi-jokingly.

"I haven't really thought that out yet." She mumbled weakly.

"Well, it better be a damn good excuse because this is the 5th time and I don't think you're going to be able to convince anyone that your **that** carless and clumsy." He replied.

Just as Jessie opened her mouth to respond, the first bell rang and the two of them took off running to their first period class. And though she didn't let Greg see it, she was really worried. _"What am I going to tell everyone?"_ she thought to herself.


	2. The Accident

There was a little girl

_There was a little girl. She looked just like Jessie. "Could it be me?" she thought. She watched. The little girl was with her mother. They were hand in hand and were laughing and giggling as they headed toward the ice cream parlor. Jessie couldn't help but smile and think of her own mother when she saw them together. Then, she remembered, this has happened before…_

"Jessie!" shouted Mr. Roland from across the room. "I know that you may not find the history of 15th century England to be extremely exciting, but do you think that you could keep your eyes open for the rest of class?" he asked sarcastically.

Jessie propped her head up onto her elbow, rolled her eyes, and let out a long sigh. It was bad enough that she had to stay after school to be evaluated by a counselor today, but now these late night "incidents" have left her unable to stay awake in class.

Finally, the bell rang and Jessie grabbed her bag and was about to walk out of Mr. Roland's classroom when she heard him call her name.

"Jessie!" he shouted, "Come back here for a minute, I want to talk to you about something." He said gesturing with his hand for her to come over. "As a teacher, it is my responsibility to report—" he began before Jessie cut him off.

"Look, Mr. Roland, I know that you are only trying to help, but I don't need or want it. I am already being forced to go talk to some stupid counselor after school today. Trust me, you don't need to worry, I am fine!" she said bluntly before turning around sharply and walking out of the room.

She didn't mean to go off on Mr. Roland, but she just couldn't help it. She had built up so much anger inside over the years that sometimes she just exploded and couldn't control what she was saying. "Maybe I do need to see a counselor." Jessie thought to her self briefly before shrugging off the feeling.

"I am here for my meeting today." Jessie said to the lady at the front desk. She had wrinkles all around her face and her hair was placed lopsidedly on her head. Jessie smirked at the fact that the poor lady had no idea that her wig was so terribly off center.

"Here. Wait right over there." Said the lady with the crooked hair as she handed Jessie a pink piece of paper and pointed to some gray chairs over in the corner of the room. Jessie walked over, threw her bag onto the ground, and plopped down into one of the chairs. She picked up a magazine and began to thumb through the pages. Nothing interesting…

_She knew it! That was her. Her and her mom. Well, before the "accident". She couldn't contain herself anymore. She ran as fast as she could, but each step that she took only seemed to take her farther and farther away from the woman she wished to hold so badly. Her mother. The woman that raised her. Loved her. She cried out, "Mom! It's me! Come back, mom! I miss you…"_

"Jessie, are you alright dear? Said the crooked haired lady as she vigorously shook Jessie awake. "You were calling out for your mom."

Jessie sat straight up and took in her surroundings. When she realized where she was, she quickly gained her composure and said, "I'm fine. It was just some stupid dream."

"Well, make sure you talk to the counselor about it; I'm sure that he can help you figure it out. Oh, and she is ready to see you now," said the lady gently.

Jessie quickly picked up her bag and walked swiftly to the open door in the hallway behind the reception desk. Before going in she turned around slightly and said, "Thanks." Then she went in and shut the door tightly behind her.

Jessie walked into the white-walled room and looked around. It was simple. A plant in the corner, a painting on the wall, and a middle aged woman sitting behind a wooden desk with a clipboard ready to evaluate.

"Please have a seat. My name is Dr. Fuller," she said politely as Jessie made her way over to the evaluation chair. To be honest, Jessie was completely skeptical that this counselor could help at all with her problem. "Wait," Jessie thought to herself, "What problem? I don't have a problem."

"So," began Dr. Fuller, "I bet you're here because you're being forced to be here and you don't think you have a problem."

"How did you know that?" Jessie said with a confused look on her face.

"I deal with teenagers like you everyday. And if you don't want to be here—" is all Dr. Fuller managed to get out before Jessie cut her off.

"Look, it's not that I don't want to be here. Well, I don't, but that's only because I know that I can handle this without your help. If I couldn't handle the situation, then I would have come here on my own. And I know that you're only trying to help me, but for some reason, that only makes me not want to come here. I can't stand sympathy. It makes me feel weak, and if I feel weak then—" Jessie paused.

"Then what?"

"Then, I hurts too much," she finished.

"What hurts? The abuse?"

After a long pause, Jessie finally looked up with tears in her eyes and said, "Yes."

"Why does it hurt? Does it hurt because it causes you physical pain, or does it hurt because it is coming from someone who it supposed to love you, your stepdad?"

"I don't know," Jessie began as she wiped the tears from her eyes with a tissue the counselor handed her. "I guess that it's both. If I let him see that it hurts me, then I'm afraid that he won't stop. I feel like he feeds off my pain like some hungry animal." Jessie confessed before breaking into tears again.

It had been a long time since Jessie last cried. She never cried in front of her stepdad for the reason that she just confessed to the doctor. She was trying so hard to think of the last time she felt like this, and then it hit her. The accident.

_The little girl and her mother seemed so distant now. Jessie knew what was about to happen, but she could only stand there and relive the terror of the entire incident. The little girl and her mother reached the ice cream parlor and went inside. Jessie had to turn around, it was too much. She couldn't do this again, watch her mother die. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and closed her eyes shut so that none of the surrounding light could penetrate._

_She heard it. The gunshots. The screams. The death. She felt like she was going to die. Why was she even there? She couldn't turn around; all she could do was collapse onto her knees and cry so hard that she felt she was going to pass out._

"Jessie! Jessie!" she heard the voice bringing her back to reality. It was Dr. Fuller's voice. Calm, caring, concerned. "Jessie, are you alright? You passed out."

Choking back all her emotions and tears, Jessie said "I have to go." And just like that she picked up her bag and ran out of the office as fast as her feet could carry her. She flew down the steps of the building and almost ran straight into Greg as she turned the corner.

"Whoa! Jessie, slow down!" said Greg.

She lifted her head to look at him and he saw that she was crying. His eyes became soft and understanding. He knew. He slowly pulled Jessie into himself and wrapped her in a long comforting hug as she cried on his shoulder.

When they finally pulled apart, Greg gave her a half-hearted smile to see if she was okay, and she smiled in reply.

"Come on," Greg said as he slid his arm around Jessie shoulder, "I have something that I know will cheer you up."

He walked her in the direction of her house and Jessie could smell it before she could see it. She knew right then that something was wrong. What had Greg done? She glanced over at him with a confused look on her face, but he just kept looking straight ahead.

Then she saw it. It billowed into the air like an exploding atomic bomb. The sky was filled with it.

Smoke.


	3. Mom & Dad

**A/N: Please review, I would love to know what everyone thinks! Thanks.**

Jessie ran up to her trailer faster than she had ever run in her entire life. It was quickly burning to the ground and she could feel the intense heat as she got closer and closer to it.

"Help! Somebody help! Call the fire department! Do something!" she shouted into the open air hoping someone other than Greg would come to help.

"Jessie, calm down. It's just a fire. Walk away," said Greg completely calm.

"Walk away?! How can I walk away? My home is on fire!" she screamed back at him.

She didn't care that about arguing with Greg. She had to do something. She ran a couple yards to the front of the trailer park and found a stray garden hose. Hoping that it would somehow douse the fire, she quickly threw it on full blast and frantically sprayed everywhere.

All of a sudden she remembered—"Roger!" Without even thinking, she bolted into the burning trailer and before she knew it her lungs were filled with smoke. She began calling her stepdad's name, but there was no answer.

"Greg! Come help me look for my stepdad! He stayed home today, and if I don't find him, he is going to die!" Jessie shouted from inside the smoky trailer.

Jessie heard Greg run inside the trailer, but he didn't help her look. He grabbed her, threw her over his shoulder, and ran out of the trailer. Jessie was screaming and pounding him in the back.

"Put me down! What the hell do you think you're doing?" she cried desperately trying to break free of his grasp.

"Just trust me!" he responded sternly.

Jessie didn't relent in her kicking and squirming even though it didn't seem to help. Finally, after her and Greg were about 4 blocks from the fire, Greg placed Jessie on her feet and led her over to a bench to sit down.

"What was that Greg? Why did you pull me away? My home is burning! My stepdad was—" she didn't finish.

"Jessie, listen to me. This was for your own good. I am only protecting you. Can you please just trust me on this? I promise I would never do anything to hurt you."

"What are you trying to say?" asked Jessie concerned.

"I set that fire."

Jessie couldn't even respond. All she could do was stare at Greg in disbelief. He burned her home? How could he? She thought they were friends.

After several tense minutes of silence, Jessie finally found the words to say.

"Why?"

"Is it that hard to figure out? Your stepdad abused you, and you deserve better, so I set the trailer on fire and hoped he would burn inside."

"I didn't ask you to do that!" Jessie screamed while throwing her hands up in the air.

"I don't understand why you are blowing this all out proportion! I did you a favor and this is how you thank me for it? That's the last time I ever do anything to help you out."

Jessie couldn't believe what she was hearing from him. She thought she knew him so well. Then, like an uncontrolled impulse she slapped him clear across his face. She hit him so hard that it even left a burning sensation in her palm and fingertips.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Greg screamed at the top of his lungs as he flew up onto his feet. "I only did this because—because—I-I—" Greg began to stammer.

"Because what? If you have to say something just say it! Nothing you say right now could make me hate you anymore than I do right now!" Jessie yelled furiously.

"Because I'm in love with you!" Greg yelled in one breath. Just as he said that he grabbed Jessie's hands hard and yanked her up off the bench and kissed her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her like it was the last time he would ever see her.

Jessie backed away. She placed her hands up defensively between her and Greg. "What did you just say to me?" she asked confused.

"I said that I am in love with you. I have been ever since I can remember. I love the way you smile and the way you laugh. I love how you stick up for people who should be your enemies. I love everything about you. I don't know why, but I can't help myself. It's like every time—"

Before he could finish his heartfelt speech, Jessie grabbed him and kissed him the same way he had done to her. They stayed that way.

--

"We are here today in remembrance of Roger Grand, a loving father and widower," said the priest to the few people who managed to show up to Roger's funeral. Those few words made Jessie laugh inside herself as she knew that Roger couldn't have been less caring or loving.

It was about noon and the graveyard was quiet, except for the priest's chattering, as Jessie fidgeted in the grass below her shiny black heels. She sat there, lost in thought, just hoping this funeral would be over soon. Jessie didn't even know why she was there; the casket was empty because the firefighters couldn't find her stepdad's body in the trailer since it was so horribly burned by the time they got there.

When the priest finally finished his ranting, the few guests stood up and threw roses on top of the empty casket before returning to their cars to continue on with the rest of their lives. Jessie stood up slowly and slipped her hand into Greg's.

"What are we going to do now? My neighbor told me I have to be out by 6 tonight unless I start paying rent," Jessie asked hopelessly.

"Don't worry. We'll figure something out. I promise," replied Greg sincerely.

Jessie looked off into the distance. She gave Greg the "I need to be alone" look and he nodded and went back to the car to wait for her.

Jessie slowly crossed to the other side of the graveyard scanning over each tombstone as searched for the ones she wanted to find. She knew they were here, but she hadn't been here in so long that she had forgotten where they were. After about 15 minutes of searching, she found them. Two tombstones side by side, both decorated with dead flowers.

_Mom was crying. I know something is wrong, but she won't tell me what. I am only 6 years old and she doesn't think that I will understand. She leans down to me and places her hand on my shoulder and tells me Auntie Danielle is coming to watch me while she goes to see someone. I still don't understand, but the sadness in her eyes could make me say yes to anything. I nod slowly pretending to understand. She leaves. _

Jessie bent down and traced the outline of the letters on the first grave. Ken Davis Jr., her real father. She hadn't known him very long, but the times they spent together were some of the best years of her life. After he died, her mom fell apart. She stopped having the will to go on. It took her 7 years to finally find "love" again with Roger.

_I remember the day she told me she was getting married again. I was 13 years old. She kept telling me that no one could ever replace my dad, but I should give Roger a chance because he is a really good guy and could help us find a better place to live in. I believed her lies. _

She glanced over at the second tombstone. She couldn't even trace the letters of her mother's name before she needed both her hands to wipe away the tears that were falling furiously down her face. When her hands were finally free, she slowly and carefully began to trace out her mom's name. Kristine Davis.

Her mom never told Roger that she used to be married and that Davis wasn't really her maiden name. She loved Junior so much that she felt his last name was the only thing she had left of him to hold onto. So she kept Davis as her maiden name when she married.

_I remember when we were all together and happy. Usually, it is only in my dreams, but there was a time when we were happy. I remember, it was a bright and sunny day, almost like a fairy tale. We were going to the park. Mom and dad were hand in hand as I skipped eagerly in front of them. I can hear them laughing and they whisper 'I love you' to each other. Right at that moment, I knew I never wanted to lose that memory._

Jessie stayed knelt in front of her parent's graves crying for about 30 minutes. Finally gathering her composure, she stood up and made her way back to the car where Greg was waiting for her. She had to get out of here, and she knew exactly where to go.


	4. The Return

She remembered. Even though everything seemed like it should be such a distant memory, she still felt like it had been told to her yesterday.

_Hand in hand, they walked into the barn. The familiar smell of horses filled the air and caused her to smile. This was her. She seemed so little, but she knew it was her._

"_And this is here is my truest friend, Wildfire" Kris stated while gently placing a pat on the horse's back._

"_But mommy, how can a horse be your best friend? I thought that daddy was your bestest friend." _

"_He is," she giggled. "I love your daddy very much, but Wildfire and I have a special kind of bond. It cannot be found in people. It's like being the same person even though you're not."_

_The girl looked at her with confused, wide brown eyes. She couldn't seem to understand what her mom was talking about. She felt like it should be so simple, but she was only 10, how could she really know?_

_As they left that barn, she was determined to find that special bond her mom had told her about. She wanted a horse that would be her own. She wanted her own adventures. Softly under her breath she whispered, "I'll be back tonight, Wildfire."_

"Jessie? Wake up." Greg was gently nudging her side. She sat up and peered through blurry eyes at the rest stop.

"We are almost there. Do you want anything to eat? You've been asleep for most of the ride so I wasn't sure if I should have stopped sooner" Greg explained almost in a whisper.

"No,—" Jessie paused to yawn and stretch, "I'm fine. You can go ahead and pick out whatever it is that you want. I'll just wait here. This is going to be a big day and I just want to think things through."

"Alright. Well, just give me 5 minutes" Greg said hopping out of the car.

The door closed and Jessie took in the silence like a warm cup of cocoa on a cold winter day. Her body had been so stressed lately that even a nap in the car felt like a week's stay at a 5-star resort. Despite her relaxed physical form, her mind was swarming with questions of doubt and concern about the chance she was taking. Will they accept me? Will it be the same? Will I cause too many painful memories? What if they don't let me stay? Where will I go? All these thoughts seemed never ending and her nerves couldn't handle much more.

She gently reclined back into her chair, waiting for Greg to return so they could just get this car ride over with. The rest of the ride seemed to just drift off as an unimportant memory.

_There were crickets chirping in the humid night air. Although everyone was asleep, the night still seemed full of life. Flies were buzzing, moths fluttering, snakes rustling. She tiptoed gently through the grass, as though it was made of delicate glass that might shatter if touched too roughly. Guided by the faint, flickering light off in the distance, she made her way to the barn. "This is it," she told herself._

_As she entered the barn, the gentle pattering of hooves seemed to create a melody, beautiful and sweet to those that would take the time to listen. Continuing to tiptoe, she ran her hand along the stalls, the rough wood bumpy under her pale, smooth fingertips. "Wildfire?" she whispered into the air. "Where are you boy?"_

_About 3 stalls down, the faint sound of neighing could be heard. She continued down slowly, not wanting to startle the horses and create a ruckus. Once she reached the stall, she peered gently around the wall into the opening, wrapping her fingers tightly around the frame. "Hey buddy. How are you? Want to go out for a ride?"_

_She saddled him up and they took off into the night. The gentle movement of the horse beneath her felt almost natural as they moved in unison to the gentle trotting of hooves on the dirt road. The stars shone brightly overhead, twinkling like a freshly cleaned wineglass. The air was cool and crisp against her face and she knew right then she never wanted to lose this feeling. This is where she was meant to be._

They arrived before she even knew it. Seeing that archway in front of her created a pit in her stomach that felt like she had swallowed several rocks. How was she going to do this? This was a bad idea. What was I thinking when I decided to come back here? Jessie filled her mind with all these doubts until she finally blurted out,

"I can't do this!" she exclaimed, almost yelling. "We never should have come here. This was a bad idea, and we need to go back now."

"Jessie, you know this is where you belong. You tell me all these stories of how wonderful this place was when you were growing up, so why are you so afraid to come back?" Greg asked gently.

"Because, this is my mom's place. Not mine. If I come back now, I might bring them grief and painful memories, and the last thing I want to do is hurt anyone here; they don't deserve it."

Greg just sighed and put the car into drive. He knew that once he got her inside that she wouldn't be able to leave. He couldn't let her talk herself out of this. She needed to be here. This is where she is supposed to be.

Once they pulled up in front of the faintly familiar house, Greg gently nudged Jessie to get out of the car. She took a deep breath, exhaled, and opened the door.

Kicking up dust on the dirt pavement, she looked around and took in the familiar sights of the place she loved so dearly—Raintree.


	5. The Nightmare

It had been a long time since Jessie had been back to Raintree; actually, all she could remember was her secret night ride on Wildfire. It seemed so recent, yet so long ago.

_You can come back anytime you need to. Just know we are here for you and nothing should ever keep you from coming back. _

Jessie kept repeating these words in her head as she searched around for Matt, the owner of the ranch. It used to belong to his mother—a wonderful woman whom Jessie cannot remember. It's not like her death was sudden, she'd been sick for a long time, but it was still hard.

Jessie shoved her hands into her pockets and casually began to stroll around, taking in her new surroundings. The smell of green grass, the cool breeze on her face, the healing noises of horse hooves on a nearby dirt track—everything seemed so perfect. The sun glistening through the trees caused her to slightly squint, but when she saw him, she knew.

Jessie didn't know what she was expecting. Should she run over and give him a hug or wait for him to approach? Does he even remember her? What if he won't let her stay? Surprisingly, nothing happened. Just a look.

His soft brown eyes seemed filled with so many emotions. At first, he seemed confused, like he couldn't figure out where he had seen this girl before. Then, he knew. He just straightened up and inhaled. Nothing could have been simpler.

With just that look, no words at all, Jessie found herself in the bunkhouse—unpacked and alone. She stayed there the rest of the day, as though leaving would mean she could never come back in.

She just sat there. Feet over the edge of the bed. Slouched. Looking at the floor. What was she supposed to do? Act like the past didn't exist? Move on and just start over? How was she supposed to do that?

Jessie felt herself dosing off. At first, she fought it. She felt safe, but it didn't feel right—sleeping in this bed. This room. But eventually, sleep got the better of her and she drifted off into a world she never expected to go back to.

_It was dark and cold. Where was she? Nothing seemed familiar except the stench of smoke. It seemed to be getting hotter, but she wasn't sure. Her eyes hurt and they wouldn't open. She stretched her arms out in front of her—searching, grasping around for something, anything, to hold onto._

_Cracking and snapping noises filled her ears. There was a whirling all around her. Is this hell? Did I die in my sleep? In the midst of her confusion, Jessie heard a scream—loud and piercing. A man, but who?_

_Blindly stumbling around Jessie attempted to find the source of the cry; as she grew closer and closer, she knew. It was him. She was here—back—to face what she had tried to forget. All the agony and pain Jessie tried to disregard was real, right in front of her. It was her fault and now she was being forced to see just what he had been through._

_Fear, guilt, sorrow, and anger all clouded her mind and nothing seemed to make sense. How is this happening? I wasn't here! Why am I seeing this? Should I try to help him? Jessie had so many unanswered questions and she felt she was running out of time. She began shouting his name—Roger!_

_She couldn't believe she was trying to find and save her already dead stepfather, but it seemed like the only option. She didn't know why she was back here or what else to do. She fell to her knees and crawled around on the ash-ridden floor, searching, crying out for Roger. Tears filled her eyes and made seeing even more impossible. Just as she thought she felt his hand in hers—Nothing._

_Everything was gone. No fire. No smoke. No Roger. Everything was white. She was nowhere. Jessie spun around, desperate to find someone or something familiar. She ran for what felt like miles, but still nothing. Just emptiness. This loneliness frightened her more than being back in the fire._

_Now what? Where do I go? What do I do? Nothing is making sense anymore! I thought things were going to be easier; I thought I was supposed to help him! Why is everything gone? She didn't know what to feel anymore. She cried._

_For the first time in a long time, she just let the tears run down her face with reckless abandon. There was nothing and no one to stop her or comfort her. Her body began to shake and she couldn't catch her breath. Then, something happened. A voice. Nothing but a soft voice began calling her name…_

Jessie woke up; her eyelids stiff with dried tears from the night. Her whole body hurt and her head was pounding. Remnants of the dream stayed with her and she tried to, once again, forget. She knew she couldn't, at least, not on her own.

She turned around and grabbed the phone.


	6. The Phone Call

Feeling nervous and calm at the same time was a new mixture of emotions for Jessie. Actually, she didn't understand why she was nervous at all; it's not like this was the first time she had talked to him over the phone. But things had changed and maybe the conversation wouldn't go as smoothly as she was hoping.

Regardless of the outcome, Jessie sat there listening to the phone ring. Again. And again. Finally, a familiar voice on the other end—Greg.

"Hello?"

"Hey Greg…it's me, Jessie…" she let her voice trail off, unsure of his initial reaction.

"Jessie? How have you been? I miss you so much! I've been waiting and hoping you would call. I knew you just needed time to think. I knew you would understand why I did what I did! This is great I can't wait for you to come home! Things are—"

The excitement and sincerity in his voice almost made her want to come home, to forgive him, but she knew she had to be honest with him—and herself.

"Greg," she cut him off, "listen, I don't really know how to say this but I can't come home. Not for a while. I'm still struggling to cope with what you did. And honestly, you're lucky the police ruled it an accident…" she felt as though she was being kind of harsh, but it was just like a band-aid—quick and (almost) painless.

"What I'm trying to say is that I need to stay here. I need to get my mind straight, and I just—I—I can't see you anymore…"

There she said it. Now it's all out in the open. She expected a wave of relief to wash over her but instead she felt dread and worry for how she was hurting Greg. She sat there, with the phone up to her ear, just waiting for a response—anything at all. Nothing.

Jessie waited for what seemed like forever and then finally, he said something.

"Jessie…I love you, and I'm pretty sure you know that. This sucks, it really does. But as much as those words just crushed me, I am willing to accept them. I really just want you to be happy, and I guess if you can only find happiness away from me and your home, then I guess you should stay there. I'll always be here for you though, please don't ever forget that…."

His voice sounded a bit shaky and Jessie knew he was fighting back tears. She felt terrible, but she couldn't have asked for a more understanding best friend.

"I won't…"

What should she do next? Just hang up? Should she say something else? Thank you? All these different possibilities were flooding through her mind and none of them seemed to fit the situation. Lost in her own thoughts, she was brought back by a soft and gentle click from the other end of the receiver. That was it. It was over, but Jessie still couldn't bring herself to put the phone down. Even though she thought she was ready to let him go, putting down the receive just seemed too difficult, but after a few minutes, she slowly placed it down. After taking a deep breath, she stood up and walked outside; now it was time to face Matt.

Jessie cautiously approached the house, unsure of how welcome she really was at the ranch. The steps creaked slightly as she made her way towards the door. It was a simple brown door with a window divided into for sections. Curtains covered the inside so she couldn't see inside. She reached to knock and as her knuckles hit the solid wood, she felt instant regret. Jessie quickly turned around a tried to make it back to the bunkhouse but before she even got off the porch, Matt had opened the door.

"Jessie? Did you need something?" he asked almost in a whisper.

She stopped dead in her tracks, slowly spun around, and looked up to face him.

"I—I just wanted to talk to about something…" she began, "well, I mean, only if you aren't busy, of course!" she quickly added.

"Of course I'm not busy, I always have time for you. Come on in" he said with a smile.

Jessie followed closely behind him as he led her into the house, through the living room and into kitchen. He motioned for her to sit and she did, worried she would do something wrong.

"So," he began "what's goin' on?"


	7. A New Face

Before she even knew it, 2 hours had gone by and Jessie had barely even taken a breath during her stories. She caught on to the fact that she was rambling and became immediately embarrassed. She stopped mid-sentence, blushed, and apologized.

Matt gave out small laugh, "it's okay. I'm a good listener, and it sounds like you've really needed someone to talk to. Look, I just want you to know that you can stay here for as long as you need to. The ranch has been going through some hard times recently, but we've been tracking down a descendent of Wildfire…and I'm going to pick him up tomorrow. I really think he's going to be the big break we've been needing ever since my mom passed…"

Jessie could see the hurt in his eyes from bringing up his mom, and she knew no words could comfort him. She gently reached across the table and picked up his hand; just holding it in hers was enough to silently say, "I know, I understand, and I'm sorry."

"What do you know about this stallion?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Well, if they didn't lie to me, he is possibly Flame's offspring. I was thinking of just sticking with the trend and naming him Spark." He let out a light chuckle.

"Have you seen him race at all?"

"No, but horse racing is all about going with your gut, and that's what I'm going to do."

"Fair enough. So, what time are we leaving?"

"We?"

"Did you really think that I was going to live here for free, on a horse racing ranch, and not help you go pick up its future racing champion?" She asked with sarcastic disbelief.

Matt gave out a genuine laugh, "no I guess not."

They both sat there smiling at each other, Jessie still holding on to his hand. They knew they were going to make a great team.

The plan was to leave at 8am, but Jessie was so excited she could barely sleep. She woke up at 6am and made her way to the barn.

It was just as beautiful as she remembered. Concrete floors, 8 large stalls complete with slots for name plates, hay stacked high in each corner, and the familiar and comforting smell of horse manure. Most people never understood how that comforted her, but there was just something about it that reminded her of home—not the trailer with Roger, but a real home.

There were 3 horses in the barn already: Tipper, May, and Fury. An interesting combination of names, but she was just glad they were there.

Around the corner of one of the stalls, Jessie heard some shuffling and the falling of a pitchfork. The loud noise startled her, mostly because she thought she was alone.

"Hello? Who's over there?" she called out timidly.

A tall figure emerged from around the side of the stall. A man, well, a boy really. Probably about Jessie's age…or maybe a few years older?

He had sandy blonde hair that rested lightly on the top of his head and came down to just above his ears. His eyes were green and almost familiar. He gave a small smirk when he saw her and began to walk towards her.

Jessie began to feel uneasy, and she wasn't sure why. It wasn't fear, but something else churning in her stomach. Nervousness? No. _Stop it Jessie_, she thought to herself.

_But he is kind of attractive…No! Stop it!_ Jessie was fighting her own thoughts and didn't realize that he was standing right in front of her holding out his hand.

"Hello?" he asked confused

"Oh! Sorry!" Jessie blurted out snapping back to reality. "What did you say?"

He gave out a small laugh that Jessie thought was so wonderful and simple. "I said my name is Ryan, it's nice to meet you."

Jessie looked down at his worn but strong hands. He had clearly grown up doing barn work, and she couldn't explain it, but she felt drawn to him.

"Hi," she said taking his hand, "I'm Jessie."


End file.
